Coconut: Tree of life

The coconut tree is known as the “Tree of life” in Asia. Burma, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and India. The roots are used as dyes for colouring. The trunks are used as timber for building, carpentry and kitchenware. Leaves are weaved for use as mats, roofing material, and even as separators for the rooms in wooden homes. In cooking, they weave the leaves into hollow cubes to make hard boiled rice cubes called “Katupat” in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore when it was still part of the British colony until the early 60’s.

Coconuts’ truly immense health and nutritional value have just recently been rediscovered by the west. For deep and pan frying the oil can withstand high temperature during cooking. Due to malicious industrial propaganda, this Fruit of life has suffered tremendous bias since the sixties. Over half a century big Pharma and Petroleum industry have been massively stroking fear about high saturated fat and cholesterol in coconut oil is not healthy. We know today it has so many benefits. Likewise, they have done the same to many naturally healthy curative products example: NONI. Thou the noni is still being used in many places for its beneficial effects. Coconut oil is back in the mainstream health market in a very big way.

Even frying with coconut is much healthier but not so for very health conscious buffs. Just count how many people you know do not like fried food and ask yourself if they are going to change soon. What we can do is expand the horizon of comprehensive benefits of healthy diet and meanwhile show them a healthier alternative to frying with high smoke point oils that will not ruin their health as much as industrially produced refined oils with a low smoke point.

Coconut oil is rich in medium-chain triglycerides, (MCT) which are made up of healthy fatty acids. A Large portion of these fatty acids are lost during the refining process, but they are present in unrefined coconut oil, means that the fat content of unrefined coconut oil may prove beneficial. A 2008 issue of the “American Journal of Nutrition” contained a study that found that a diet high in medium-chain triglyceride-rich oils, like coconut oil, helps improve overall body-weight levels and increased fat loss when compared to olive oil. Researchers concluded that because of the strong weight- and fat-loss benefits of medium-chain triglyceride oils, even a small change in oil intake could be helpful with increasing weight loss.

Unlike most vegetable oils, coconut oil is solid at room temperature. In the cold winter months, coconut oil is pretty hard! If you keep it close to the cooker, it is pretty easy to dig a spoon in or cut off a chunk with a knife. Coconut oil will begin to liquefy at 76°F. Last summer my container of coconut oil was completely liquid for a couple of weeks, unusual for where I live! Depending on your location in the world, coconut oil may likely be liquid unless refrigerated especially in hotter regions. Coconut oil has a high smoking point of 350°F. This makes it optimal for almost all cooking. It’s also used in a variety of food retailers including fish & chip shops in the UK, for deep frying as a healthier choice.

Before you start cooking it’s helpful to understand a few facts about coconut oil.

* Easily processed by the liver to be immediately converted to energy.

Frying Temperature

Deep fried is not the healthiest or worst tasty stuff on the planet. Rather what is important to know, is that a high smoke point of oil in deep, pan-frying, sautéing, baking & roasting compared to other cooking oils, coconut oil is very stable and can withstand high cooking temperatures.

Peanut and coconut oil has one of the highest smoke points. Let’s face it many people love fried food. Unless you become a health fanatic enjoy a zig the 95% the healthy way and little zag 5% the not so healthy way some of the time.

Appropriate oil temperature safeguards healthier fried food items. One tip is a cold item when fried absorbs less oil. While foods fried will absorb oil, it will be many times less oily when it’s placed in the refrigerator for a while before you fry it. The proper temperature will inhibit scorching, can better preserve nutrients and reduce absorption of oil. During pan or deep frying the oil temperature of 370 to 330 ºf and 180 -160ºc makes refined peanut and coconut oil the best option for these cooking methods.

When sautéing temperatures may be as low as 285ºf, where either refined or unrefined peanut or coconut oil is suitably healthy.